Of the Soul
by Asheleigh Beaumonte
Summary: Heero has been having dreams about Relena, and he tries to convince himself he doesn't love her. The Pilots have been invited to a costume party at Relena's, and Heero's afraid to go.
1. Chapter One

  
  


The palace was quiet but for the sobs.

Heart-rending, pain-filled cries of grief traveled desolately through the dark, unlit hallways. The sobs traveled down the marble stairs, out the hallway window, and made their way to the moonlit garden, where, fortunately, not a soul lurked.

Quatre heard them each night these past three days as he lay very still, staring up at the ceiling of his room. Those grieved, tortured cries for love that haunted him so every night.

He chose to do nothing about it.

It wasn't that he _wouldn't._ It was that he _couldn't._

_A promise is made of steel,_ Quatre reminded himself agonizingly as the sobs would start. He would stare blankly ahead for over an hour, listening, just listening.

Listening to her pain.

***

_The sword he held grew longer, stronger, much more powerful than a mere fencing sword. It was as though he held Excalibur, the blade eager and waiting for a taste of pure flesh._

_ "Stop," she said, holding her hands out in front of her. "No, please, stop...don't."_

_ "I have no choice," he said, gazing at her immaculate face. That face, those eyes, they pleaded for him to rethink the fate he had bestowed upon her._

_ "Please, no," she begged, a fresh gleam of tears making her eyes...those _eyes_...seem so large and luminous. He trembled, quivered on the inside, tears stinging his own._

_ With one thrust, Excalibur was on the ground, lying, defeated. But his anger and lust was not._

_ He headed towards her, his eyes on hers, his heart contracting with passion while hers constricted in fear._

_ "Don't be afraid," he told her in a rough, husky voice, grabbing hold of her wrists and pinning her against the wall._

_ "Stop it, please, I beg you," she cried out loud, struggling for a few hopeless seconds. "Stop!"_

_ "No!" His mouth was slammed down onto hers as all the world disappeared around them, and need and hunger and greed blasted up inside of him like a fire, fresh and new._

_ He kissed, he rubbed, he stroked. She cried, she begged, she grew helpless as he forced her onto the bed._

_ And then she whispered something, calmly, without fear, even as he continued._

_ "I hate you for what you've done to me..."_

Heero gasped awake, his body jerking up and his mind repeating her name.

Relena. Relena.

Why? Why had he been having that dream continually for the past month? Why couldn't it just leave him alone, stop whispering these devious thoughts and evil wantings into his head?

Relena.

Heero glanced over to his right. Duo was lying peacefaully beside him, looking almost too angelic to be the god of Death.

_He's the angel of death, then,_ Heero mused with a slight smile. But then that smile vanished as his dream came back to haunt him.

_It's the guilt,_ Heero tried to explain to himself. _I'm feeling guilty about Relena..._

He clenched his fist and shook his head in the darkness, leaning against the head board of the bed. _She wasn't supposed to find out!_

Heero grabbed his pants and slipped them on. It was raining outside, a soft, gentle rain that tapped the roof lightly. Heero got up and walked to the balcony doors, leaning against the glass and watching his warm breath mist it.

_Why can't I get her out of my mind?_ he wondered, confused. _I don't love her...do I?_ He shook his head again. _No, of course not, don't be ridiculous. It's the guilt._

The guilt always took the blame when it came to Relena.

_I don't love Duo either. I just...use him, sort of. And I know he doesn't love me, not like that._

"Heero..."

He turned, saw Duo gazing sleepily at him. Duo smiled his sly smile.

"Restless, huh?" Duo asked, propping himself up on his elbow and resting his head on his hand. "Big day today."

"Don't remind me," Heero said, grabbing his green tank-top and easing it over his head.

"Why not? I thought of all the feelings you'd show, nervousness wouldn't be one of 'em."

"I'm not nervous." He walked to the door.

"Oh, yeah, I forgot. The mighty Heero Yuy has no feelings."

"Your Gundam's been rebuilt," Heero said, changing the subkect and flicking the lights on.

"What? Already? Fixed and customized and everything? When'd you find out?"

"Last night after you fell asleep. You'd better hurry. You'll want to see it."

Relena, no matter how hard she cried, amazingly never had puffy eyes in the morning. And that was a good thing, too, for Quatre Winner had come early about three days ago for the ball that was going to be held tonight.

Relena, happily, had ivited the Gundam Pilots and pleaded for them to attend.

But that was three months ago...

_Three months ago,_ Relena thought as she brushed her hair for the fifth time that day. _Has it really only been that long? I feel like I've been mourning for almost forever...I've forgotten how it feels to be happy._

Tears stung her eyes, and the brush fell into the vanity's drawer****. Her head fell to her hands, her shoulders started to heave, and her insides shuddered with pain.

_Heero,_ she cried silently. _Heero, my Heero...I want you to be my Heero once more..._

A knock was heard from the door. Relena straightened, brushed away her tears with the back of her hand, and straightened her back.

Walking over to the door, she pasted a bright, fake smile on her face.

"Yes?" She opened it.

"Relena," Pagan said. "Breakfast is served."

Relena nodded, and as she looked at Pagan, her heart was ablaze with sudden pain, a newer pain, searing and fiery.

Pagan turned to leave, and Relena couldn't help herself.

"Oh, Pagan!" She flung her arms around him, surprising him, yet holding him close. "Pagan."

"Miss Relena," Pagan said. "What's with the sudden show of emotions?"

"Pagan, you've been all that used to be familiar to me," she explained, a lump in her throat forming. "You've been with me since forever. Before I found out about Milliardo, before I met any of the Gundam Pilots, before daddy died..."

_Before I found out about Heero._

"There now, Miss Relena," Pagan said soothingly. "I promise all will be alright."

_But it won't be. And I know it. Because someday, you'll leave._

"Shush now. We wouldn't want Master Quatre to see you in this state, it would only worry him.

_He already knows. And I've put so much on his shoulders by making him promise not to tell._


	2. Chapter Two

"There now, Miss Relena," Pagan said soothingly. "I promise all will be alright."

_But it won't be. And I know it. Because someday, you'll leave._

"Shush now. We wouldn't want Master Quatre to see you in this state, it would only worry him.

_He already knows. And I've put so much on his shoulders by making him promise not to tell._

Relena sniffed and stood back, away from Pagan. She nodded.

"Yes, I supposed you're right," she said. She smiled. "I'm sorry."

"No problem at all, my dear."

***

"Tell me again," Heero said to Duo as they wandered the hangar, "why do we have to go through all of this with Relena?"

"Ah, so you are nervous," Duo said with a knowing smile. "Well, I'm guessin' it's a matter of honor. It would be rude not to attend when we already promised we would."

_Rude?_ Heero thought. _Rude? What about my self-being? It would be rude to destroy that._

"Duo, Heero!"

Duo's head shot up. He waved. "Howard, my man. What's up? Something wrong with my Scythe?"

Howard's head shook. "Nope, it's in tip-top condition. I just wanted to tell you boys that there's a killer alert."

Heero straightened. "Killer?"

"There's a killer on the loose. Escaped from the Steeple County Insane Asylum."

"What's all this got to do with us?" Duo asked.

Howard shrugged. "Just thought you boys ought to know."

"Yeah, thanks, but we can handle a killer any day, right Heero?"

"Yeah," Heero said, Howard's words soaking through. "Yeah. Right."

***

Relena fidgeted with her whit egloves nervously. Some guests had already arrived, and they were in the ballroom, dancing, drinking, eating, laughing.

She had dressed up as an angel, something she had decided long ago when she had been happy. She didn't know what she would have gone in after she found out...

The news had ripped her world up by its seams.

Her angelic, gray wings fluttered in the cool air-conditioning, and her long, swirling white dress sweeped to the floor.

Heero had not yet arrived.

_What if he decided not to show up?_ Relena worried. Then she shook her head, sighed, and glanced at the clock.

_You want him to show up?_ she asked herself.

Relena's fist clenched. Duo...it was all Duo. Duo's fault, Duo's blame, Duo's everything. If he hadn't had interfered...

But no. She and Heero wouldn't have gotten closer...she knew that now.

_I don't know what to think anymore._

Just then, a familiar voice seemed to beg to be heard by her. She turned, saw a pastry laughing with Alladin, who was Quatre, about some joke.

"Duo," she whispered. "But where's..."

"Relena."

Her heart ceased its endless beat, then started up again, hot and thrumming, deafening to her ears.

A boy offered his hand to her. He was wearing a simple silver mask that covered his eyes and nose, and his dark brown hair was slicked back. A sword was at his hip, looking real and deadly.

"May I have this dance?"

Relena placed her hand tenderly into his, and his hand tightened.

_Is this Heero?_ her mind wondered. _He's so...charming._

He swept her around the ballroom floor, his eyes never leaving hers, and her nerves were on fire.

***

Heero took in a small, steadying breath and shuddered from within.

_"Stop it, please, I beg you...Stop!"_

His eyes closed, and his grip on Relena slackened. No, no memories...it interfered.

_"Stop...no, please, stop...don't."_

Heero carefully, millimeter by millimeter started to tok his hands away from hers, so that the palms weren't touching, but the were still attached.

_No,_ he thought. _No, I don't want to hurt Relena like that...I don't want her to be afraid of me...but she is. And she was, in the dream._

"Heero," Relena said. His heart flew to his throat, his arms trembled slightly, though she didn't notice. She bowed her head, hurt gleaming in her eyes.

God she was beautiful.

Heero's eyes shut, and he kept his feelings in check. No. No. No. He _wasn't_ in love with her. _No._

"Heero, forgive me for not seeming very talkative tonight," she whispered, her voice filled with tears. She cleared her throat, and looked up at him brightly, putting on an act. "Lovely party, isn't it?"

Anger burned insid eof Heero's chest. "Don't act so fake, Relena."

Her eye flickered, her lips parted just slightly.

"Whatever do you mean?" she asked innocently.

Heero shook his head in disapproval. "Relena. Don't act like that."

She broke. She said in a hurtful, angry hiss, "What do you want me to act like, Heero? Do you want me to break down in tears? Do you want me to act like the whole world is going to end? Alright, I'll act like that Heero, to make you happy, because it shouldn't be too hard anyway. I already feel that way."

Heero's grip loosened fully and he stepped back from her. they were in the midst of twirling, dancing couples, all waving past them, but the people weren't there anymore. They had disappeared.

And Relena and Heero had been taken to a world that solely consisted of each other's eyes.

Her eyes gleamed, filled with tears, and her fists clenched to her side.

"Heero," she sobbed softly.

_Relena, stop..._he wanted to command her, but couldn't get the words out of his mouth. He couldn't control his lips, his tongue. _Stop breaking my heart._

_Like you did to hers?_ a wickid voice rang inside his head.

"Heero...you must know, you _must,_" she said softly. The first tear fell down one cheek, the next tear followed.

Oh, how he wanted to touch her. How he wanted to reach out and wipe those tears away from her face, to touch her bare skin, to experience the feeling of it under his fingers.

How he wanted to twirl a lock of her beautiful hair around his fingers, playing with it, teasing it.

How he wanted to kiss her.

"You must know that I love--"

"Relena." Heero put his hand up to stop the sentence from going any further. "Don't."

Her bottom lip quivered, and Heero turned on his heel to leave.

It seemed to her that he turned because he didn't care.

But in reality, Heero Yuy turned because he didn't want to see her weep because of him.

***

There's more to it, so stay tuned!!!!! I just couldn't write it all with my schedule and all.


	3. Chapter Three

  
  


Her bottom lip quivered, and Heero turned on his heel to leave.

It seemed to her that he turned because he didn't care.

But in reality, Heero Yuy turned because he didn't want to see her weep because of him.

***

_I mustn't cry,_ Relena said as she brushed her hair in front of the mirror. _I can't. Because I know that everybody would hear my sobs._

The Gundam Pilots and a few other guests were staying overnight. Relena could't cry.

"`_And all the world shan't feel my pain_,'" she recited off by heart.

She looked so sad and grieved in the mirror that it broke her heart all over again. Tears started to stream down her cheeks, dripping wetly off of her chin.

She sniffed and wiped them away, but her sad expression didn't change.

"Is this what I've dwindled down to?" she asked herself, putting her brush down. "Is this what he's making of me? Him and Duo? I shouldn't be so selfish when that's what he wants."

Then, despite her brave words, she started to cry again.

_But he's what I want!_ she protested in her mind. _I want him to love me, to be with me until my dying day..._

Quatre was so nice to her. He understood how she felt, knew how her heart ached for Heero.

"Maybe I should just give him up," she whispered.

Then, she grew still. Behind her, through the mirror, she could see a figure appear on the balcony and enter her room.

"Maybe you should," the dark figure said.

***

The scream pierced through the night. Quatre gasped awake and grabbed his shirt. Who was it?

He burst into the hallways, and so did the other Pilots and a few guests.

"Trowa! What's going on?" Quatre asked.

Trowa shrugged, said, "I heard a scream. I think..."

"Miss Relena," Wufei said. "It came from Relena's room."

"What about Relena?" Heero asked.

They all raced to her room, but the door was locked.

"Allow me," Duo said, slamming his foot into it and kicking it open. Darkness invaded their eyes as they entered the room. But Quatre was the first to see it.

A pale gleam of moonlight lit the floor, and blood trickled into the silver glow.

"Oh, God," Duo said as he switched the light on. "...Relena."

She lay on the floor, motionless.

Eveyrone in the doorway, Trowa, Quatre, Duo, and Wufei, stood motionless as well, praying for her to move. To sneeze. Anything.

"What's going on?" Heero squeezed through, then stopped. He couldn't do anything at first, he just stood, totally motionless, his heart thrumming in his ears.

Then, "Relena."

The knife had been sliced through her stomach and was laid in her right hand. Blood dripped her her mid-section, soaking through her nightgown and onto the carpeted floor.

Heero fell to his knees beside her, afraid to touch her.

_If I don't touch her,_ he said fragily. _If I don't touch her, then maybe...it won't be real....she'll disappear and then...it won't have to be..._

"Relena," he choked out. The blood that soaked his knees was real enough, thouhg.

He clutched her body to him, his head bowed and his hair shadowing his face in the darkness of the room. His back was to the door, so they couldn't see what was going on.

But one tear fell, and then another, wetting his cheeks and falling onto her soft brown hair.

Heero Yuy began to cry.

***

Suicide. They had announced it a suicide.

Everybody knew how she hadn't been herself the past months, how depressed she had seemed.

Yet only the Pilots knew the reason why.

And Heero Yuy knew it more than all the rest.

_Why did she have to go kill herself?!_ he thought angrily as he blankly stared up at the ceiling of his room, lying on his bed. _Did she love me that much to..._

Heero watched as the world grew dimmer and his mind slowly drifted into the boundaires of sleep.

_SHRINNGG!_

_ He drew his sword and held the tip of the blade to Relena._

_ "Stop...no, please, stop..." her gasps of fear filled his ears as he took a step towards her. "Heero, please...stop..."_

_ This dream, Heero thought. It's only a dream. I've been having it since forever, and this is one of those times where I force Relena to do something she doesn't want to do..._

_ **HEERO YUY.**_

_ Heero stopped. THe sword fell to the floor, and Relena was frozen in place, staring in horrified anguish at him. She wasn't moving._

_ **HEERO.**_

_ He look up. Something glimmered in front of him, shifted in and out of shapes, then took the form of a woman._

_ She was wearing a long, white flowing dress and had wings attached at her shoulder blades._

_ What Relena had worn to the party, except this woman was now wearing it..._

_ "Who are you?" he demanded._

_ **HEERO. I AM THE PROPHET. YOU HAVE NO NEED TO KNOW MY NAME.**_

_ Heero frowned, clenched his fist. "I don't believe in prophets."_

_ **AND YET HERE I AM.**_

_ "You're in a dream. Dreams aren't real."_

_ She smiled, her long, silver hair flowing in the breeze. **YOU HAVE MUCH TO LEARN. DREAMS MAY NOT BE REAL IN THIS DIMENSION, YET THEY CERTAINLY ARE IN ANOTHER.**_

_ Heero shook his head, unbelieving. "Why are you here?"_

_ **I AM HERE TO MAKE YOU UNDERSTAND YOUR DREAM.**_

_ Heero straightened, his eyes shone eagerly. "Tell me. What does this mean? why am I doing this to Relena?"_

_ **YOU MUST...**_

"Hey Heero!"

Heero jerked awake and grabbed Duo by the fornt of the shirt. "_What?!_"

Duo's eyes glinted with such sadness, and Heero backed off, gazing around the hotel room.

Then it rushed back at him.

The costume party. Staying over night. And Relena's death.

_All my fault,_ he ached. _All my fault._

"You don't really think it was a suicide, do you?"

Duo's words knocked Heero back into reality. "What?"

Duo shrugged. "Suicide. Quatre and Trowa think so. You'd think they'd at least have a little more faith in Relena." He shook his head and looked at Heero. "You think it might've been the killer? Her balcony doors were open."

Heero shrugged, too much in pain to make any sense of things.

He had always been pushing Relena away, and then when she was gone for good...well, he wanted her back.

_But you can't have her back,_ that wickid voice inside of him said. _It's all your fault._

Tears stung at Heero's eyes again, and Duo backed away. "Whoah. Maybe I should leave?"

Heero nodded, too afraid to speak. He didn't want anybody to know how much she had meant to him...

***

Don't flame me!!! Don't worry, something good happens in the end ^_^ ! Just keep on readin'!


	4. Chapter Four

  
  


Tears stung at Heero's eyes again, and Duo backed away. "Whoah. Maybe I should leave?"

Heero nodded, too afraid to speak. He didn't want anybody to know how much she had meant to him...

A part of him was missing, it seemed. A part of him had been ripped by the seams and he couldn't function, not properly, without it.

**THAT IS EXACTLY IT,** the prophet's voice rang inside his head. **ONLY YOU DO NOT WANT TO GRASP THE TRUTH THAT LAYS JUST INCHES BEFORE YOU.**

***

"What do you view as your purpose?" Duo rocked back on his heels, looked up at the sky, and shrugged to himself. He looked back at the newspaper he was holding. "I dunno. Next question. Would you change anything in your life?"

Duo chuckled, started to walk on. "Hell, yeah. Next."

He read the next question in the paper. "Is there someone you'd like to say sorry to but can't."

Duo blinked, felt it start to rain. The drops hit the top of his baseball cap and dropped onto the newspaper.

"Yes," he said to himself, and dropped the paper into the nearest wastebasket.

_Relena._

"Damn shrinks in the paper," he muttered. "Trying to squish your brain and turn it into mush."

_Relena, I'm sorry,_ he said silently. He glanced up at the moon, the beautiful crescent shining down onto the city. _And out of all the things I've done that I regret, your sadness was one of them._

The air was crisp and chilly, and Duo shivered.

_I should be with Heero right about now,_ he mused idley. Then he slapped his palm to his forehead. _That's what got Relena into this in the first place!_

"Grr," he growled to himself. "Bad Duo, bad, bad Duo."

A figure just ahead. Slim body, flat stomach, cat-like grace as she sauntered his way. She had long, jet black hair, shades that covered her eyes, and the most amazing figure Duo had ever seen on a girl.

On _anyone_ for that matter.

_Gorgeous babe,_ Duo thought, smiling as she eased by. He turned and watched her go, eyeing places here and there.

"Yow," Duo breathed, grinning, and he walked on to the hotel.

***

Duo slipped the key into the lock and turned the knob. He hear dnothing from inside, but he instantly knew that the balcony doors were open.

He flicked the lights on, and saw Heero out on the balcony, sitting in one of the chairs.

He weighed out the possibilities of going out there with him, but then realized the poor guy might be crying, and Duo turned serious yet again.

_Poor Heero. Crying because of Relena. He really did love her, though deny he might._

Duo trudged to the kitchen and grabbed a piece of bread. He munched on it, thought about that hot chick he had seen down on the sidewalk, and suddenly began to shiver.

_Who was she? She might've been beautiful, but these vibes..._

Duo tossed what was left of the bread into the wastebasket and decided to see Heero.

The balcony was dark, but a million stars made enough of a dim light to see by. Or at least shadows.

"Heero, my man, what's up?" Duo asked, eyeing the bottle of wine that was next to Heero on the table. It was more than just a little half gone.

He didn't answer, like Duo predicted, just grasped the bottle by the neck and took a swig.

Duo leaned against the wall and gazed, troubled, at the sea of stars and city lights that was before him. After a while, he said, "It's not your fault, Heero."

"What the hell do you know?" Heero slurred.

Duo's anger spiked, yet he kept his cool. "Heero, stop messin' yourself up over her. _It. Was. Not. Your. Fault._"

Heero slumped back further into the chair and put a hand over his eyes. "And so what, you're saying that it was yours?"

Duo's hand tightened into a fist, but he restrained his anger. "You'd better not talk anymore, Heero. You're totally drunk, and anything you say now you might regret later."

"I've _been_ regretting, Duo," Heero said, suddenly getting to his feet with a little difficulty. "You know who many frickin' damned hours I've sat here, regretting my whole entire life as it flashed before me? _Huh?!_"

Heero's anger made his face even more flushed than it already was, and usually Duo backed off at that point.

But Duo was grieved over Relena's death as well. He wasn't about to let Heero Yuy trample all over him.

"It's as thought you _want_ it to be your fault," Duo raged. "As though you'd happily put the blame on yourself because it's easier! Because with Relena killing herself, there wouldn't be anything to worry about! Well, Hereo, she's _dead,_ and she didn't kill herself because of you! Someone did it for her! She's _dead_, damnit!"

_Crash!_

Heero had grabbed the bottle suddenly and hurled it to the floor. Little shards of glass scattered everywhere, and Duo felt one of the shards knick his cheek lightly.

He stared as Heero leaned against the balcony railing for balance.

"Shut up," he whispered, trembling. "Just _shut the hell up._"

Duo glared for another seemingly endless second, and stepped over the crunching glass as he made his way into the room.

***

Quatre lay in his own bed, in his own room, in his own palace, and the silence was nearly deafening.

He imagined he was in Relena's palace, hearing her sobs at night, because hearing her sobs were much more comforting than hearing her silence. He clutched the pillow tightly, thinking about her hurt, her pain, and his promise not to tell anyone, including Pagan.

_A promise if made of steel,_ he thought, shutting his eyes in grief.

_Made of steel._

***

Wasn't that just slightly sad, with Heero and Duo and all????? Makes me want to cry after writing it...Review! Please!!! *pouts and makes large, doggy eyes at the reader* Purdy, purdy please?


	5. Chapter Five

  
  


DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the GW characters. I just use them to create comforting images in my mind that the world is a much sadder place than my head. So read, enjoy, and don't diss my creativity!!! THAT GOES FOR ALL MY OTHER "OF THE SOUL" CHAPTERS AS WELL, and my "EPILOGUE OF THE CROW'S WINGS, 1 & 2"!!! ^_^

Quatre lay in his own bed, in his own room, in his own palace, and the silence was nearly deafening.

He imagined he was in Relena's palace, hearing her sobs at night, because hearing her sobs were much more comforting than hearing her silence. He clutched the pillow tightly, thinking about her hurt, her pain, and his promise not to tell anyone, including Pagan.

_A promise if made of steel,_ he thought, shutting his eyes in grief.

_Made of steel._

***

The killer spotted the victim and licked her lips.

_Fresh meat,_ she thought. She walked past him with perfect ease, making sure to sway her hips and look nonchalant. She walked a little ways off, turned, and saw him continue on.

This could be easy. Very easy. Or...it could be a challenge.

_That's OK,_ she thought. She smiled sadistically, such a fiendish smile that it couldn't possibly fit her beautiful face. _I like challenges._

***

Duo slung Heero's arm over one shoulder as he tried to lead him into the room.

"You know, this feels weird," he said off-handedly to Heero. "I mean, it's always you helping me to bed whenever I get totally plastered."

A grunt from Heero as Duo laid him on the bed and drew the blankets over him.

_No fun tonight,_ Duo thought responsibly. _Not with everything goin' on._

Then he perked up. _But that doesn't mean I need Heero to party._

Duo changed, put a band-aid on his cheekbone, and checked on Heero.

"You gonna be alright, man?" he asked. Another dismissing grunt came from the blankets. "Alright. I'm off. Call me when the floor stops spinnin'."

***

The victim entered the club.

She perked up, smiled, and put her beer down, sauntering over to him.

"Hi," she shouted over the music. He glanced at her, smiled back, and nodded his head in recognition.

"You're the girl I saw earlier," he said.

She led him over to the bar and sat. "Yeah. Sorry I didn't say hi or anything earlier, I was kind of distracted."

"No prob." He sat down next to her, and she could see the attraction welling up in his eyes.

"I'm Fox," she said, offering her hand.

"You sure are," he said, grinning.

She laughed, throwing her head back. "No, that's my name!"

He smiled back at her.

"You gonna buy a drink?" she yelled.

"Can't."

"Underage, huh?" She smiled seductively, crossed her legs, and turned to the bartender. "Get me a beer, will you?"

"Aw, man, I couldn't possibly accept," he hollered.

"Oh, come _on,_ you seem like a party-goin' kind of guy!"

He chuckled, shrugged, then looked away. The bartender gave her the beer and she opened it, slipping what she had in her hand into the drink.

"Here," she said, giving it to him.

"Thanks, you're brilliant." _And a total babe,_ he thought.

She giggled, looked out into the crowd, and said, "Wanna dance?"

He took a sip of the beer and shrugged. "Why not?"

***

The lights were thrown in a hazy array of bright colors that swirled all around Duo. They were too bright, too hued, too _wrong._

Duo laughed, Fox laughed, they both danced around the floor.

_It's the beer,_ Duo thought. _Gotta be the beer. But...I've only had a bottle. It couldn't...be...the...beer..._

His chest tightened, and the room swayed.

_What the...?_

Duo grabbed at his chest, glanced around at the spinning room. He couldn't breathe...oh, God, he couldn't...breathe...

"You OK?" Fox asked, looking concerned.

Duo nodded, gasping for air. "I just...need to go outside..for a few minutes..."

"I understand." She nodded, looking around at all the bodies. "Need help?"

"Naw, I'm fine." He strolled over to the door, grasped the frame, and went outside.

The cold air hit him like a pole. Duo started to sweat, despite the cold, and walked into an alley to lean against the wall.

"What the hell...is this?" he gasped. His chest was constricting, as if his heart couldn't hold the pressure, and his lungs couldn't seem to get enough oxygen.

"What the...hell..."

Duo saw as the wall in front of him blurred out of vision once, twice, then into focus once, twice. He narrowed his eyes, trying to figure it out.

_Fox...the drink? Things...not...right...the aura...bad...can't...think straight...what the...hell..._

Duo Maxwell collapsed onto the wet, cold cement of the alley floor.

***

_He held the sword. Or rather, the sword seemed to be holding him. He didn't want to kill her, didn't want to force her again out of her own will...but what did all this mean?_

_ Relena was in the room. But she lay, unmoving, on the bed, looking straight ahead. As though inviting him to do it._

_ He wanted Relena back. Wanted to hear her laugh, wanted to feel her touch, wanted with all his might for her to come back._

_ **THERE IS...A WAY.**_

_ Heero turned, faced the Prophet._

_ "Tell me," he urged, holding the sword in a threatening manner. "Tell me. Now. Please."_

_ She sighed, tilted her head to one side and narrowed her eyes, examining him. He felt as though he were some sort of specimen under a microscope, and she being the scientist._

_ **IF YOU ARE ABLE TO INTERPRET THIS DREAM, ALL SHALL REVERSE ITS NATURE.**_

_ "How the hell do you figure this out?" Heero burst, his arms shaking with anger. "How the hell am I supposed to know what you're trying to tell me?"_

_ **THE KILLER.**_

_ Heero's body snapped at attention and he glared at the Prophet. "The...killer?"_

_ **STUPID MORTAL.** She tossed her hair over one shoulder. **YOU'RE LOVE WAS MURDERED. YOUR FRIEND WAS RIGHT, AND HE WAS THE ONLY ONE WHO HAD FAITH ENOUGH TO BELIEVE IN HER. IRONIC, ISN'T IT?**_

_ Heero's arms trembled again, and he looked down at his sword._

_ "Arrrggh!" he screamed. He hurled it at her._

Fresh morning light gleamed blindingly into the room. Heero's head swam, then it throbbed, and he couldn't seem to move for a moment.

He tried to lift his head, but it would only lift off the pillow a few centimeters before falling back down onto the feathery texture.

_So. Relena was murdered,_ he thought in his hang-over fogged mind. _I'm going to find that killer. But first...I'm going to get rid of this headache._


End file.
